Joe's Passions

Joe's Bio

Leaving aside Campagnolo, there are two iterations of 30MM crank spindle: BB30/PF30 and BB386EVO. Rotor's factory site claims that this BB will work with either one and that is a significant claim if you happen to have an Italian threaded shell. Unfortunately, FSA BB386EVO carbon cranks (SL-K) bind badly with these cups apparently due to internal tolerance and the width as well. A call to the FSA techs at HQ confirmed same: There is NO FSA BB or any other BB known to be both ITALIAN threaded AND compatible with the FSA carbon 386EVO crank. (FSA does make one for the alloy Gossamer crank.) Using a 30MM crank other than the FSA 386EVO may be fine.

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

I agree with positives set forth in the other reviews here. TRUE, this one does fit snug even by Castelli standards. From my perspective that close fit is very good in itself; I find that given my hard to fit v-shape, I'm willing to deal with a jacket being a tad restrictive in the shoulders in order to have a good close fit in the waist. My experience in winter cycling is that snug = warm whereas a relaxed fit lets cold in. Anyway, the one gripe worth passing on is that the rear pockets are just poorly made. The attachment points dividing the three pockets actually started to tear the FIRST time I wore the thing and I'm not particularly hard on my stuff - didn't overload the pockets. Castelli's one flaw generally is that the quality control sometimes fails. I wear it as a mid layer in Midwest cold and it works very well. Anyway, it's a fine piece although the retail number of 4 bills is unjustifiable in my opinion. Get it on sale! (and consider the pockets usable for small stuff only say, a wallet or a Bonk Breaker.)

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

Worthwhile as cool weather longs especially for the sale price I got. These are light - not true winter tights although they work well layered under a no-pad pair. The stirrup is a great feature and I wish more companies would figure that out. Size/cut: my experience is that all-Roubaix pieces stretch a great deal and, whether top or bottom, fit better when sized down. That holds true here. At 185 lbs and 5',11, I wear these in a medium. Normally I'm a large in Giordana, XL in Castelli. Hope this helps.

Familiarity:
I returned this product before using it

These tights were on a 50% reduced sale and DeMarchi makes some legitimately good stuff so I went for it. Returned, out $6. First of all, I knew that the lower end DeMarchi pieces run big so I sized down. Medium in fact was the correct size. The fabric is a light version of Roubaix which would keep the chill off at 65-70 degrees but no colder. These are NOT true cold weather longs. The pad seems tough enough but it's lighter and thinner than most. Nothing special. The deal-breaking problem is that even in a MED, these are not compressive enough and the ankle flares. For the price, I would have kept them if the cut was good but a bad cut is no bargain.

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I had to exchange a size (down from L to M because the Roubaix is very elastic) but these things are perfect. They're well-made and the Roubaix fabric is first class. The pad is very robust and I expect these to be winter favorites. Recommended especially at the sale price. De Marchi evidently has a couple different grades of their products; these represent the top. I recommend sizing down to get a firm, compressive fit. They also have a tad more leg length than the typical summer short. I'm impressed.

Familiarity:
I returned this product before using it

Got a set of these based on a favorable review and I had to return without using I'm afraid. The fabric is decent and the cut through the hip and legs is compressive. (185 lbs, 33' waist, size large). The fabric probably does have some water-shedding ability but I dismiss the idea that these would keep you warm in repeated downpours. The deal-killer for me was that the ankles are cut WAY TOO big. The last thing I want is tights with a big cold spot by the ankle. I had to pull them half way up my calf in order to fill out the lower leg opening and that's from a track rider with muscles FWIW. They need to stovepipe down nice and snug so you don't have air blowing in there! Giordana really needs to re-work these things with a STIRRUP and tighten up the cut of the lower leg. Not recommended. I can tell that Assos fits like it should although one has to get past the unholy price...

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

This review is for the bottoms and jacket together. I had both and finally sold them. Nothing negative to report on the jacket except that the top is sized smaller than the bottoms in my judgement; I would be better off in an XL up top due to my shoulders and chest. The top is cut for scrawny manorexic types. NBD. First the good: the fit is close and streamlined which I like. The warmth of the Gore wind-blocking fabric is the best I've seen particularly on the jacket and the all-important jewels region on the bottom. I was comfortable in single digit wind chill (Midwest) as far as core temp and avoiding genital frostbite. (Yes ladies, that's a real threat for us.) The negatives go to the bottoms: the cut is appropriately very snug in the thigh while being disproportionately loose below the knee. Again, cut for string beans. I had cold spots on the back of the leg because of this and because the wind-block material does not cover the back of the leg. As such, this limits the temperature rating significantly. The ankle cuff is a real problem. It does not give at all so great care is needed putting your foot through; you could easily bust the seam on your new 250 dollar tights. That cuff and the entire lower leg could be improved by using a stretchier soft shell fabric. Ultimately, for such an expensive set to be used in serious cold, I was expecting more.

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

The idea driving this design is good: knickers on the light side for truly hot weather. They look sharp and the fabric IS light but totally lacks compression. Mavic's sizing has some real flaws too. At 185 with a 31" waist (fighting weight) I'm usually a LG or XL but these had sloppy loose areas even in a medium. That seems to be a fault in the fabric and also the cut which strikes me as imprecise. (I can't imagine any size of these things fitting a 150 lb rider.) Returned. If Mavic does a revised version I'd give those a shot.

Familiarity:
I returned this product before using it

6' 186 lbs, size XL in these. I wanted to like these but they defied my attempts. I found oddly, that with the correct size - firm compression everywhere, the legs were slightly too short and also too big around at the ankle. No stirrup either. This is a bad combination as it feels way weird and guarantees they'll ride up. The cuff around the very bottom is this cheap flimsy material which I can't describe except to say "rubbery" and it isn't like the rest of the leg fabric at all. The tights look sharp but the Castelli Logo is just ironed-on vinyl letters which as we all know will come off one at a time and fairly soon your thigh look like the Wheel of Fortune board. I don't care about the logo and based on the nice fabric, I actually returned these for the knicker version. I reasoned that would solve the ankle issue as I suspect these were designed as knickers to begin with and simply duplicated in the long version with no thought going into it. I was liking the knickers but I found a stitching defect and those were last pair in my size. The shoulder straps don't impress me - same space material as the leg cuff but likely to work. The fabric itself is very nice and makes me wish they put more thought into these things.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

The only drawback of this stuff is that it can be TOO hot for shorter rides or less-than-brutal cold. I am a big fan of hot lineaments for cold riding and wet spring races and this is no-kidding... If you really lay it on thick, it will last several hours and causes an intense heat. Remember, handle the chamois cream first THEN the lineament. Knee warmers under your longs will prevent dragging that chamois through napalm in route to the grundle. (If you do it wrong you'll know.) It's possible to tone down the heat by cutting this stuff with baby oil. It definitely increases blood flow to the area; great for older cats like me with creaky knees. Enjoy.

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

If the goal is to ride in WET: winter wind and drizzle, these are the thing I'd say. For dry cold and temps below freezing I'd do something else. This is basically a half-millimeter wet-suit carefully tailored into cycling bibs. So, they have a very compressive fit and good wind resistance. (Wear them tight as with a wet-suit. I'm 5, 11.5; 182 lb and a MED is perfect.) You'll be wet but less miserable for the same reason a wet-suit works in cold water. This 2013 model of Amfib improves over the older one due to the stirrup and integrated gasket: Stirrup goes inside your shoe and the gasket goes OVER your shoe cover like a gaiter thus directing the water outside your shoe. The back is a cool spot as another reviewer indicated; noticeable in a deluge but NBD to me personally. Pearl runs larger than the euro stuff. I was surprised to take a MED as I have other Pearl bib shorts in a large.

Good price-to-weight ratio and definitely race-worthy. Slender and firm enough to warrant something else for your 6.5 hour ride. That little hole probably DOES mitigate pressure and numbing down south. Firm but there are firmer ones out there. I put this same seat on two bikes.

Returned unused. For the retail price, this thing seems cheaply made. The fabric is extremely thin and poorly finished. Construction seems delicate to say the least. Worst of all there is no compressive fit because the fabric is so light. The legs grippers are almost non-existent - definitely the poorest ones I've seen. Looking to a different maker.

As a former competitive rider just getting back into it for fun, I am as happy as you could hope to be with rollers. I used the large diameter Kreitlers in the 80's and I recall needing the wind-load simulator fan in order to really work. NOT SO with these. The rollers alone provide an ample workout for me. I estimate these provide 75% of the normal resistance you experience outside for a given gear on a flat road with no wind. It would be interesting to know if Kreitler has a more accurate equivilency.